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October, 2006 - In This Issue: sponsored by Autism Speaks

Calling All Americans / Mary-Minn's Stim Page / Holiday Shopping with KindTree
What is Risperdal? / Autism Speaks / Voter Disenfranchisement
Society spreads autism awareness /AAPC cancelled the Oct 13 Autism Conference
VSA Arts Call for Poets and Musicians / Retreat 2006 Reflections
2006 Volunteer and Donor Thank You List
Community Calendar

Autism Rocks 3rd Annual
Mask Making Party
Saturday, Oct 28, 2 - 5 PM,
Cozmic Pizza, Downtown
Center Stage Karaoke
Prizes, Toys, Raffle
Make your own Mask
Wear your own Costume
Sing your own Song
$5/person - $15/family
Be Part of the Autism Community

'Calling All Americans'

If you watch TV, you’ve noticed - it’s election season again. “I’m for the schools’, “It’s the kids that matter”, “Honesty, trust, in-tegrity.” I’m sure you’ve seen them. So many advertisements spouting slogans or trying to make the other guy look bad. It’s hard to have respect for that kind of thing.
Yet, next year’s legislative session is very important to the autism community. Local school funding depends on the State recognizing and prioritizing our needs - and having the cash. Issues with the new mental health parity rules will come up. The national level will see autism research get funding attention - maybe.
How can I help? I can send you to Debbie Koch (debbiek@mcmc.net) who is starting up an autism political action group in Ore-gon, and to the Oregon Developmental Disabilities Coalition Oregon voter guide here: http://www.oregonddcoalition.org/?q=node/175 And I can tell this one, small story. The rest is up to you, fellow American.
A few weeks ago the organization Autism Speaks held their first ever Eugene Autism Walk to raise money for their research proj-ects. Organized by Teri Baker, a local parent, it was a fine success, bringing together enthusiastic members of our autism community. Teri tapped state senate candidate Jim Torrey as the honorary chairman. Mr. Torrey arrived a few minutes before the walking began and approached me (I must have looked like I knew something - maybe it was my Au-tism Rocks T-shirt). He asked me about autism. I appreciated his interest even while I was disappointed that he seemed to know so lit-tle. During his short talk, he repeated much of what I had told him. He was leaving the impression autism had been an important interest of his. He asked, “Where is the media?” They came after he was finished.
I believe we need office holders who are sincere in their belief that we can do good things if we are honest and trusting with each other. I believe well trained, decently paid educators require real money to stay in the difficult field of Special Ed, and that real money doesn’t come from thin air. I believe we’re all in this together. Are you ready to really help us out, Jim?

Teddy's Hobby Horse
Josh Breedlove
One of KindTree's
Holiday Cards Sets

We have a great issue today, with a fine story from Mary-Minn, pictures from our largest-ever Autism Camp/Retreat, our annual Volunteer and Donor thank you list, our 2006 Holiday Card offerings, other news and events, and some great information from Autism Speaks, who, through a donation of over $700, are the sponsors of this issue of Reaching Out - Reaching In. THANK YOU! Enjoy...

Tim Mueller

VISIT eSCRIP and Help Us OUT!! / Or print the sign up form HERE

Mary-Minn's Stim Page

(Here are personal stories about autism. If you would like to see your musings on this page, please email Mary-Minn at sirag@mindspring.com.)

Workin' For a Livin'

1978 was a banner year for me in sheer quantity of jobs held. That year, I blew through 12 jobs “like they were Kleenex,” as my older brother put it. I was living in Manhattan, studying life sculpture during evenings at the Art Students’ League on West 57th Street, sharing an apartment on the Upper East Side with my parasitic boyfriend and making ends meet catch-as-catch-can.

The pinnacle of my career that year was waiting tables at the Veracruz Spanish and Mexican restaurant, down the street from the U.N. It was a mighty soft gig for the maladroit waitress that I was. I’d show up at a leisurely 10:30 a.m., when I and my counterpart, a chivalrous Mexican man, would set to work scouring the bathrooms and setting up our stations before getting to the paid work of waiting tables. Our choice clientele of U.N. diplomats were pleasant, interesting to talk to, easy to wait on, and generous with their tips.

"Health and safety standards were quite beside the point at the Chocolate Factory. Being germ phobic, I threw out the dropped chocolate when nobody was looking. "

At the end of our shift, we employees would be treated to a substantial and delicious Spanish and/or Mexican dinner, com-plete with potent and flavorful margaritas. No matter that I was paid a mingey $3 a day, for which I signed the back of a check; no matter that I was forbidden to look at the front of the check, which probably was written for a significantly larger amount. Wages were merely a maraschino cherry perched precariously atop the proverbial ice-cream sundae, as I made as much in tips during those three hours as I would have been paid as a full-time filing clerk in the dingy recesses of Wall Street or a proofreader for an uptight fashion magazine in midtown.

About three weeks into my employment, my fellow waiter mysteriously failed to show up for work, but I managed to get my friend hired in his stead. She was an elegant Iranian woman with patrician manners, in stark contrast to scrawny, tweaky, fash-ion-dork me. My boss was clearly impressed by her. She refused to clean toilets; my boss reassured her that I could take up her slack, no problem. I objected strenuously. I was not above cleaning toilets, but it was the “principle” of having to show up a half-hour early to do a junior co-worker’s “dirty work.”

The following Monday, our entire kitchen staff had vanished from the face of the kitchen. The I.N.S. had deported the lot of them, as had probably befallen the waiter. That Monday turned out to be the busiest day I had ever experienced at that establishment. The line was 20 or so people long. Food was a long time coming, as my boss was ill-equipped to keep up with such a barrage of orders by himself. I reassured my patient cus-tomers that there was a slight problem in the kitchen, that I hadn’t forgotten their order. As usual, they were patient and kind with me.
When the food was finally ready, my supervisor brought it to them with a magnanimous flourish and yelled at me in front of the whole dining room for being so slow on the uptake. I shrieked back at him, again in full view and earshot of the entire din-ing room, that the food had been delayed because we were without a kitchen staff, and not due to any slowness of mine. I added that he should consider hiring people with legal visas next time, even if he had to pay them minimum wage. I was fired the next day for insubordination.

It wasn’t the first or the last job from which I was fired, for one reason or other. Back then, employment was easy-come-easy-go. I canvassed door-to-door for work rather than bothering with the voluminous classifieds and employment agencies, with their nitpicking requirements for shorthand, which I had never studied, and for fast and accurate typing, which I wasn’t to master until the corrasable IBM Selectric II erased my terror of typos and Liquid Paper.

Within a week, I was working retail at a small “chocolatier” deceptively named “The Chocolate Factory” on Canal Street, back then a sleazy no-zone between the Bowery and Wall Street. The boss was a questionable fellow named Alan Silver, whom I renamed “Alan Silverfish.”
We employees shared a delirious, delicious and well-deserved contempt for the Silverfish, but I was the only one with the “guts” to call him that to his face, as though my vocal disapproval could reform him, thereby making the world a friendlier and safer microcosm. Self-righteous “honesty”, above all, was a guiding principle for me back then.

The Silverfish pretended to be a chocolatier, rather than the mere purveyor of low-grade chocolate he was. To prove his nonexistent culinary expertise, he had placed a small saucepan with some somewhat dusty melted Hersheys atop a hot plate in a small closet at the back of the store. In reality, the chocolate he sold was imported, from across the Hudson River–Brooklyn, to be exact. We were instructed to tear down the chocolate boxes so that nobody could see their origin. Whenever we needed something that our Brooklyn supplier didn’t carry, the Silverfish would send Claire, the prettiest and calmest among us, to trade shows under an independent guise, as none of the other chocolate suppliers would have any financial dealings with Mr. Silver. Claire must have been one smooth talker to get into those trade shows without a wholesalers’ license.

I took great pride in my ability to estimate weight precisely to the ounce. Seeing this, my boss ordered me to overweigh by a quarter pound, so as to sell more chocolate than the customer had ordered. Sure enough, most customers didn’t notice the slightly larger quantity I had “misweighed,” but it chafed at my autistic love of precision.

New York City was still recovering from a long garbage strike. “No spitting” signs adorned the streets and subway stations, and for good reason. When chocolate fell on the floor, we were instructed to dust it off and put it back in the case. Health and safety standards were quite beside the point at the Chocolate Factory. Being germ phobic, I threw out the dropped chocolate when nobody was looking.

The store had a basement and sub-basement out of an early Stephen King novel, inhabited by tomcat-sized rats with sharp incisors and eyes that flashed red when the lighting was just dingy enough. Claire and I were charged with penetrating these sub-terranean reaches to retrieve the second-hand heart-shaped boxes festooned with battle-fatigued ribbons. Those hastily assembled, ratty boxes were just another of love’s cruelties.

Every so often, Mr. Silver exhibited great generosity by sending me out to an excellent little Chinese deli to fetch low-mein for his crew. Those evenings, my till would come out $20 or so short, which was a prodigious shortfall, considering that the average purchase was $3.
A few days after a hectic Valentines Day, I gave notice to my boss. Shocked that I not only had shown up for work that day but had given him notice, Silverfish gave me a severance bonus, plus a bag of chocolates. The bonus added up to the amounts he had deducted from my pay for “over rings.” And so, it was my turn to be shocked.

Mary-Minn Sirag Read more of Mary-Minn's Stim Pages HERE

What do You want for Christmas?

NEW T-SHIRT COLORS- RED and ladies cap sleeve style in GREY Sage Green and Black still available Some in kids’ sizes $15-$18 each plus shipping. See here...
KindTree Logo and Art Imprint Items - More here...

And here are the other three Holiday Cards a set of 12 for $22. Order Here...	Carl Kinney This set includes 2 each of six Z-ville characters and their holiday 'song'.	Frank Flanders	Dorothy Bucher

FDA Approves the First Drug to Treat Irritability Associated with Autism, Risperdal

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Risperdal (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets, an adult antipsychotic drug, for the symptomatic treatment of irritability in autistic children and adolescents. The approval is the first for the use of a drug to treat behaviors associated with autism in children. These behaviors are included under the general head-ing of irritability, and include aggression, deliberate self-injury, and temper tantrums."This approval should benefit many autistic children as well as their parents and other care givers," said Steven Galson, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Our agency strongly encourages the development of appropri-ate pediatric labeling for adult drugs, and Risperdal is a wel-come addition to the growing number of such products that have been shown to have an appropriate risk-benefit profile when tested in children."The product's effectiveness in the symptomatic treatment of irritability associated with pediatric autistic disorders was established in two 8- week, placebo-controlled trials in 156 patients aged 5 to 16 years, 90 percent of whom were 5-12 years old. The results, which were evaluated using two assessment scales, showed that children on Risperdal achieved significantly improved scores for certain behavioral symptoms of autism compared to children on placebo. The most common side effects of the use of Risperdal included drowsiness, constipation, fatigue and weight gain.
Risperdal is marketed by Janssen, L.P. in Titusville, NJ.

Community Calendar

October 24, Bridgeway House - Boys Social Group II
Nathelle Comeau, M.S. from Willow Learning Center will be heading a new boy’s social group. The first meeting will be Thursday, October 24th at 4 p.m. For more information, please call 345-0805.

At Bridgeway House: 1st and 3rd Tuesday nights - Parent support group. 1st Saturdays, 11:30 am: Exploring Aspergers Syndrome with Nan Lester. Many more BWH gatherings at www.bridgewayhouse.org

October 28, 2 - 5PM, KindTree Mask Making Party, Cozmic Pizza. Fun for All. More Info here....

November 1 - ASO-LCC membership meeting: 6:30pm, Bridgeway House.

November 15th - AAPC conference River Ranch Event Center Eugene, OregonMedical Supports and Interventions for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Featuring local author Kristi Sakai. www.asperger.net to register.

This issue of Reaching Out - Reaching In is sponsored by

Autism Speaks

We truly appreciate their interest in our local community, and thank them deeply for their financial support of our Autism Retreat 2006

A Letter to KindTree

On behalf of Autism Speaks, Scott Ryan and I are grateful for the opportunity to support local ASD organizations and ASD activities, such as the Autism Camp/ Retreat hosted by KindTree Productions this past August. There are few joys that are equal to seeing a smile on the face of child with autism. The day Scott and I visited the ASD summer camp at Baker’s Boy Scout Camp was especially joyful, as there were more smiling faces than I could count!

Thank you for welcoming Scott and I at your Saturday night buffet. We were honored to be your guests. But most of all, thank you for your support for Autism Speaks’ inaugural “A Walk for Autism Research in Eugene” on Sunday, September 10th. The combine Walks in Eugene and Portland (held the day before) raised more than fifty thousand dollars for autism re-search.

Of the fifty research projects funded this year through Autism Speaks, two autism projects are right here in Oregon. One is at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), the researcher is Dr. John Welsh, and the other project is in our backyard at the University of Oregon, the autism researcher is Dr. Philip Wash-bourne. For more information regarding autism research, please log on at autismspeaks.org and click on Science.

Autism Speaks and NAAR (National Alliance for Autism Re-search) are actively recruiting the brightest and most talented researchers for the sole purpose to find a cause and cure for this life altering disorder. There are many autism research projects being conducted all over the world, and Oregon has taken a huge step toward contributing to finding this cause and cure for all our children. Thank you.

Teri Baker

For Teens and Adults

As your child enters his adolescent years, expect him to find this time period challenging, if not downright difficult. After all, even kids who aren't on the spectrum are daunted by the formidable transition between childhood and adulthood, and it's even trickier for those who are autistic.

Autistic teens are befuddled by physical and hormonal changes in their bodies, by developing social circles and by increasing contact with the world at large. They're also wrestling with complicated emotions.

Adolescence is when, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, they “may become painfully aware that they are different from their peers,” a realization they may not be fully prepared to face. As a result, they may appear to regress, acting out and exhibiting behaviors, such as hitting or rocking, they may have conquered long ago.

Riding an Emotional Rollercoaster
Your child may lean on you more as he navigates the years ahead so prepare for the rollercoaster of emotions on which he may soon embark. Let him know that you're there to guide him through any situation he may find uncomfortable. Ask the opinions of his teachers, who will help him master new skills so he'll be better equipped to interact with his peers and take on bigger responsibilities.

Teen mentoring programs such as the one run by the University of Washington Autism Center can teach him or her how to be more comfortable in social situations so he or she will know how to move in environments that may not be as familiar as home or school. You may also want to consider sending your child to a summer program espe-cially designed for autistic teens, such as the Talisman Camp or the Stone Mountain School, both in North Carolina, where he can meet other teens on the spectrum.

With ample support and encouragement, your child stands a good chance of overcoming the initial pressures and in time, he'll learn how to adjust to his shifting landscape.

Stepping into Adulthood
Once your child is an adult, his options will depend on how high functioning he is. When he has “aged out” of public school, a vocational training program may be the next best step.

Depending on his capabilities, he may excel at jobs that require enormous amounts of concentration but limited intense interaction with others, such as computer programming or graphic design. Or, he may prefer to do something more repetitive, such as filing. If he's academically rigorous, college may be the answer. (Temple Grandin, an autism activist who's on the spectrum herself, is a renowned professor of animal science.)

In short, he or she is only truly limited by his or her own abilities and interests, which holds true whether one is autistic or not.

Our Mission

At Autism Speaks, our goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals.Autism Speaks aims to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is our firm belief that, working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Voter Disenfranchisement BillH.R. 4844 Passes House, Not Brought Up by Senate
Right-wing members of the House continued their assault on voting rights by passing H.R. 4844, “The Federal Election Integrity Act.” This bill, aimed at partisan advantage in future elections, would place extremely onerous voter identification requirements on voters, forcing them to obtain ID’s that prove their citizenship. Disguised as a measure to combat massive voter fraud that simply does not exist, it would disenfranchise possibly hundreds of thousands of primarily elderly, poor, minority, disabled and student voters. We feared congressional leaders would try to sneak this through the Senate by attaching it to a must-pass appropriations bill for either Homeland Security or Defense, but that did not happen.
PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY October 3, 2006

Society spreads autism awareness September 21, 2006
The Help Autism Now Society is distributing materials to Oregon doctors this week to help doctors and parents more easily recognize and diagnose the disease.
Posters, illustrated books and other materials will be sent to about 2,000 doctors throughout Oregon to promote earlier detection of au-tism, a condition that affects a child's ability to communicate and so-cially interact.
There is no lab-based test to determine autism, so observation remains the primary tool for its diagnosis, said Linda Lee, the executive direc-tor of the society. See the material: www.helpautismnow.com.

AAPC cancelled the Oct 13 Autism Conference, so sorry! The November 15th AAPC con-ference in Eugene at the same location is still on, however. Anyone who already registered for the Oct. 13th conference will receive a full refund and a gift certificate good toward the purchase of books, as well as a $25 dollar off coupon for the Novem-ber Conference:Medical Supports and Inter-ventions for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. See Community Calendar

The Things I'm Forced to See By Gabby Green-Nickerson, Age 14, California

Just fifteen steps to the piano bench, I thought to myself as I walked. I felt around to find where I was. I hit the bench with a noticeable thump, and felt the heat rise up in my cheeks. I sat down. My fingers danced over the ivory and ebony keys, as I knew them to be, which I could picture perfectly in my head. I hit a key, hoping I had found the right one. Perfect. I smiled and, by memory, carried on my solo.My solo. My solo.
(Excerpt from The Things I'm forced to See, 2005.)

VSA arts International Young Soloists Award
Calling all rock stars & hipsters... virtuosos & divas... jazz bands and blues brothers... MUSICIANS OF ALL STYLES!!!
EligibilityAny individual musician (instrumental or vocal) from the United States who has a disability, age 25 and under, is eligible to apply. Any individual musician (instrumental or vocal) from outside the United States who has a disability, age 30 and under, is eligible to apply. Individual musicians should complete the Individual Musician Application Form.

Applications from musical ensembles (two to eight members) will be accepted for the International Young Soloists Award. This includes any type of ensemble from a rock band to a chamber ensemble to a drum corps. In order to be eligible, at least one member of the ensem-ble must have a disability. All members of the ensemble must fulfill the age requirements as stated above. The ensemble should complete the Ensemble Application Form.

All types of music will be accepted, including but not limited to Rock/Alt Rock, Pop, Indie, Classical, Country/Folk, Jazz, R&B/Blues, Hip Hop/Rap, Latin, World, etc.

Deadlines:
December 1, 2006 for U.S. applicants
December 15, 2006 for applicants outside the U.S.

www.vsarts.org for more information

VSA arts International Call For Flash Fiction, Poetry and Spoken Word
The ultimate goal: your mind in words.

Flash fiction is an especially short story that gets at the core—a microscope’s view of the world.Writing poetry is an act of discovery, not just words laid out in lines.

Spoken word is your lyrical voice, your inner thoughts, and energy emerging through poetic performance.

The Theme - “A Moment in Time: Zooming In on My Life”

Create a short story, poem, or spoken word performance that zooms in on a specific moment in your life, as a photographer zooms in on a subject to capture intricate details. Choose an extraordinary OR an ordinary moment from your life. Take a walk through your past, the memories of your mind: watching a fluttering butterfly; witnessing a car crash; smelling the pages of a new book; riding your bike and getting lost; sipping your mom’s hot chocolate in the winter. Relive an experience where you felt adrenaline, elation, discomfort, or contentment. What life experience has shaped you? All poetic forms, fictional experiments, and spoken word performances are welcome.

Deadline: December 8, 2006

Camp / Retreat 2006

"Jon and I are getting some good things growing with a group of care givers in Eugene who actually love excuses to have autistic get together's where everyone can sing, do drumming, do art, freak out and only get mellowness, love and acceptance from everyone else. It's such a wonderful bunch of people.

Athena was at her VERY WORST at their last retreat. I couldn't socialize, go to the talent show, the drumming circle or all the other fun stuff that they were doing. Athena was too crazy so we spent a lot of time walking around or staying in our tent.

However, during all that mess, people would come up to us with interest, sympathy for Athena and acceptance and affirmation about what she's going through. They treated her like a likable person and made us feel a big sense of belonging even though I didn't have much energy to give much back to them. They asked how they could make things better. I couldn't think of anything but suggested that they sing Edelweiss. So they did and Athena's mood changed to amazement and she started laughing and singing, too. Then she stopped being so mean. She was still not wanting to be nice enough to walk among the masses but I think that, along with her miserable mood, she'd been thinking that everyone there must hate her because she was being so anti-social. She got through the rest of the retreat with a more cooperative attitude.

One event that happened when Athena was at her worst was when I was setting up the tent. A boy rushed over and tried to climb into the flat tent as though it were a sleeping bag. His two care givers tried to stop him and apologize, but Athena suddenly was so cheered up by some good old fashioned impulsive autism and he liked her tent so it meant that much more to her. I told them to let him have his fun. So they got into the fun and took lots of pictures. Then he got out of the tent and run away with the care givers chasing after him.

They have been creating retreats, concerts and traveling art shows centered around autism for ten years and now they want to do more in more areas.

They are so loved but when it comes to writing grant requests, they worry so much that they'll do it wrong and feel funny about competingwith everyone else who wants money so they ask people for money in funny informal ways and get it because people love them so much.

Steve Edelson says he doesn't know of any other place in the world where they say their mission is to celebrate autism."
Becky Beach

Mark Your Calendar:
Camp/Retreat 2007 August 24-26, 2007 See you there...

2006 Volunteer and Donor Thank You List

Sundance Natural Foods
29th Street Market of Choice
Capella Market
Fred Meyer
Bi-Mart
Costco
Jerry's Home Improvement
Monaco Coach
Eugene Freezer and Storage
Emerald Valley Kitchens
Toby's Tofu Palace
Surata Soy
Organically Grown
Co-op
Jay Frazier
Tony Diaz
Nancy Bright
Erika and Olise Johnson
the Buffalo Exchange

Bagel Sphere
the Bread Stop
ASO
Alpha Omega Computers
Michael Omogrosso
T.R. Kelley and Randy Hamme
Patricia Smith
Autism Speaks
The Boy Scouts of America
Art Kennedy
Bridgeway House
Hannah Schneider-Lynch
Sarah Berkley
George Mueller
Emily and Ken Ross
The Wentworth Foundation
David Fuchs
Robert and Julie Pasley
Mayor Kitty Piercy

Aria Mikkola-Sears
Amy Smolek
Rhonda, Alex and Tyler Way
Paula Stuart
Mary King
Beckie Smolek
Gary Cornelius
Dyan Campbell
Tim Mueller
Nel Applegate
Michelle Jones, and Tyson
Melissa Linville
Jeff and Sarah Fields
Nan, Dave, Oliver and Max Lester
Carlos Berrera
Joy
Daniel Deming
Zach Lyons
Josh Fraim and Colleen
John Roberts
VSA Arts

Mary-Minn Sirag
Jeanne-Marie Moore
Joel Litersky
Deborah Thiessen
Neil Lyda
Johanna Magner
Franklin Michael
Donald Burton
Caleb W
Molly Elliot
Thomas Finney
Kelani Larsen
Jerry Linville
Tracy Rogan
Claire Zane Jennifer Doolittle
Dustin and Dixie
Karen Howe
LaFollette Gallery
Slug Queen Slugnostra
Paul Orbell
Anna Morrison
Lane Arts Council

June, 2006
Into the Future / Mary-Minn's Stim Page / Computers?
ASO-LCC Report / Retreat Sponsorship / When False Hope can be Fatal
New Research Findings /18 Year-old's Enlistment Released / Call for Art Entries
Sparkplug Dance / Community Calendar

VISIT eSCRIP and Help Us OUT!! / Or print the sign up form HERE

'Into the Future'

This last winter the Oregon Department of Education informed us that 1 in 98 Oregon students are on the Autism Spectrum. Larry Sullivan of 4J school district tells us there are 260 students in his jurisdiction with current IEP’s for autism. Each and every one of these kids needs support now and most likely will continue to need them for the rest of their lives.

Here in Lane County we are responding. In addition to strong services from Autism Training and Support, Direction Service, Lane Developmental Disabilities Office, the ARC of Lane County, Eugene and Springfield’s schools systems, and many private providers and consultants, we have non-profits like Bridgeway House, the Aspergers Advocacy Coalition, the ASO-Lane County Chapter and, new to our area, Autism Speaks.

Each of these entities work in their own way to improve the lives of people with autism, both now and for the future. I urge you all to search them out, work with them, be an active participant in our Autism Community.
Check our Community Calendar, designed to help you find events that will enhance your lives. KindTree’s website lists many local and national links to other organizations that can inspire and inform. With individual help from Direction Service, clinics and support groups at Bridgeway House, seminars and trainings from many different sources, recreation from KindTree and the City of Eugene, respite help from the ARC, there are so many ways to get help. Reach Out - someone will take your hand.

Carl Kinney - Chia Bush
See this and more at
"Art & the Vineyard"

Coming up at KindTree is our annual participation in the Art & the Vineyard festival, July 1-4. Come, volunteer, buy art, support our autistic artists. Their work is truly marvelous. August will bring our 10th Autism Retreat. This event is so wonderful I can hardly describe it. Families can be safe there, we can all be ourselves there, “ Through the power of self-advocacy in an atmosphere of acceptance and respect, autistic and neuro-normal people alike can work toward self- realization.” Sign up now before we fill up.

The local ASO-LCC chapter has initiated a new resource on their website. You can search a growing database of local resources, or add your own. There is no fee and directions are clear. Stop by and visit at www.asolanecounty.org.

KindTree will also be represented at the Oregon Country Fair in the Community Village. Working to grow tolerance and understanding is a Village goal. That is definitely a need for people with autism! See you there?

Tim Mueller

Mary-Minn's Stim Page

(Here are personal stories about autism. If you would like to see your musings on this page, please email Mary-Minn at sirag@mindspring.com.)

The anatomy of a freakout

The first day after being ill is wonderful, indeed. My senses are alert without being too sharp. My brain can follow a logical pattern again. The temperature outside not only is perfect, but feels perfect. Colors are bright, and spring smells sweet again. I am well rested, after 12 or so hours of sleep, and I could eat a house if only a realtor would give me one to chaw on. My body is clear of aches and pains.

My illness was a four-month flood of high anxiety, depression and freakouts that crested just last night with a skin-crawling darkness of the soul. It started out insidiously as my customary winter depression.

"I lost my ability to anticipate, recognize and ward off my Confusion Triggers. "

My brain receptors had become immune to the antidepressant I was taking, rendering it useless. I felt too delicate to embark on yet another series of biochemical experiments before hitting on another antidepressant that would hold me until the next crash. Putting this off was my first big mistake.

A friend of mine had successfully diminished a recent trauma of her own with a five-session course of EMDR rapid-eye movement cognitive therapy treatments, which heartened me. I determined that I too could weaken my own freakout triggers with a course of EMDR, since my triggers are specific: losing things, getting lost, and not knowing what I am supposed to do in any given moment. I had even figured out the specific experiences leading up to my triggers. Thinking that five sessions of EMDR would fix me was my second mistake.

In a metaphoric and less than scientifically rigorous nutshell, the rapid eye movement, by stimulating both sides of the brain almost simultaneously, rearranges trauma-induced neural pathways that are activated by stimuli the patient associates with the trauma. The goal is to scramble these pathways sufficiently to disentangle the multitude of triggers from the initial trauma. Later on in the process, reintegration supposedly occurs after the brain has formed new pathways that are squeaky-clean of the trauma and its ramifying surrogates.

The therapist provides the patient with a safe venue to revisit these traumas as the patient’s eyes track the therapist’s rapid back-and-forth hand movements. After helping me to come up with comforting images to keep in mind, my therapist told me to relax and follow my thoughts.
My first serious obstacle was that relaxation is a state of being that is every bit as elusive to me as spiritual enlightenment. My second obstacle was my extreme defensiveness about opening my being to my traumas. Though I can ruminate about them endlessly, voluntarily re-experiencing them in a therapeutic context is a whole other matter. My third obstacle was my innate suspicion of professionals, even when I’m giving it my college best to be open-minded.
During the sessions, however hard I tried to revisit these traumas of mine, my attention settled instead on comforting stimuli–the reassuring tock of a mechanical clock, the bells at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church that reminded me of church bells in the village of my childhood, the warming click of the baseboard heater, even a bus changing gears, so reminiscent of cross-country Greyhound bus trips I took during college. My therapist was astonished at how many mechanical sounds I took refuge in. She clearly wasn’t the John Cage fan that I am. Meanwhile, the trauma I was trying so hard to reframe evaded my conscious grasp.

Alas, the therapy was worse for me than merely ineffectual. As promised, my brain felt scrambled for a few weeks, which was initially reassuring, as something seemed to be happening. The awful part, though, was that it never unscrambled completely to reintegrate its moorings, so my triggers became more random and unpredictable than before. Perhaps the requisite five expensive treatments were insufficient for my slow processing of information; however, by then, I was done with throwing good money–and time–after bad.

My mental health cascaded from there. My anxiety worsened from mere agitation and nervousness to a pervasive sense of im-pending doom and wrenched anguish. Daily, I awoke in a cold sweat of panic and foreboding, dreading the day’s unfolding. Premoni-tions of death loomed as I got behind the wheel, and my mind perseverated on near-accidents. My skin crawled as though trafficked by tiny vermin. My brain felt ready to pop out of its skull. My innards clenched. Things I had said reverberated back at me days later in a hollow mockery of my voice. My heart raced as though my veins were going to explode. I felt windswept from the inside. I developed a gripping and galloping-stampede social phobia. During the last week of my crisis, my anxiety culminated in a low-grade fever that kept me unpleasantly hot, though the ambient temperature was pleasantly cool. Toward the very end of my long episode, I craved solitude but couldn’t stand to be alone.

I lost the ability to keep things properly organized for myself, which fed one of my two worst freakout triggers: losing things. I couldn’t remember where I had–or even should–put things. My visual processing and sense of direction deteriorated, as did my problem-solving and troubleshooting ability. For instance, I often neglected to check the phone book and my various street maps before venturing out into even slightly uncharted reaches, thinking that “everything is going to be alright.” I forgot to eat frequently enough, rendering me woozy, irrational and irascible. Though I continued to print out my checklists for leaving the house in the morning, I glossed over important checkpoints and neglected to close important loops I had opened, such as strapping my keys to my right-hand pocket in order to keep myself safely attached to them.

During this four-month period, my freakouts increased in frequency and intensity as I lost my ability to anticipate, recognize and ward off my confusion triggers. Each freakout left me raw and vulnerable to even worse subsequent ones. They evolved from fits of obscene ranting and high-decibel shrieking at my frozen-up computer; to stapling my wrist, cross-hatching one arm with a serrated knife and bruising the other with the clenched fist of the first hand; to a stomping and shrieking rage of frustration and confusion-panic at a dear friend and her family due to an unreasoned assumption I had made in a state of hypoglycemic exhaustion.

My friend and her family accepted my abject apology. I then dissected and analyzed my recent hell with her, other friends and family. In place, yet again, are my protocols of prevention: When my brain is slower than the world around it, I am to request a smokeless break to sort and map things out in my mind, to look up the address in the phone book and the exact coordinates on a map. Whenever I leave the house, I am to pack plenty of nourishing protein to fuel my brain. Whenever I feel that hazard bubble ascending from my gut to my brain, I am to stop and figure out what my spider sense is trying to tell me.

As the egg man at the Marin County farmers’ market told my sister, “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Mary-Minn Sirag

WANTED: people who need computers!

KindTree’s Computer Exchange program has grown. People and agencies all over the state are sending people our way in search of computers. We have some newer ones from Lane County. Call 521 7208 or computers@kindtree.org.
We need you. Want to volunteer to fix 'em up?

ASO-LCC minutes excerpt, May 23, 2006
4-J Report.

Larry Sullivan:
There are presently 260 students on the spectrum with current IEP’s in place. Larry’s district has about 30 teachers so far who have taken a 4-J professional development course to help them provide appropriate services to students on the autism spectrum, with more training to come in the fall, including planned guest speakers. There is a focus to develop “autism friendly buildings” within 4-j that concentrate staff with special training to build an understanding and productive environment. Cal Young school is the focus at this time, with staff developing a virtual case management style model.

Larry also spoke of a recent court decision that prevents the district from implementing an after school program for kids on the spectrum. The plan was an after school “bridge to home” that could function as a winding down place. The $30,000 funding in place for this program fell away when a lawsuit successfully argued that the district created the levy that funded the program (and others) illegally.

Read more at www.asolanecounty.org

Kwame Minta - Elephant
David Olson
at Art & the Vineyard

Nick Gerlach
at Art & the Vineyard

Help Families attend our Autism Camp / Retreat
(Windows users right click on the form, choose print picture and send it in!)
(Click here to use your credit card)

Autism's parent trap: When false hope can be fatal
By Cammie McGovern from The New York Times TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 2006

In recent weeks, three stories have hit the news with grimly similar plot lines: parents accused of killing their autistic children.

On April 12, in Hull, England, Alison Davies and her son, Ryan, 12, fell to their deaths from a bridge over the River Humber, in an apparent murder-suicide. (A note was found in the Davies's kitchen.) On May 14, in Albany, Oregon, Christopher DeGroot, 19, was trapped inside a burning apartment. He died in a Portland hospital five days later, and his parents are charged with murder, accused of locking their son in the apartment alone. And on the same day, in Morton, Illinois, Dr. Karen McCarron admitted to the police that she had, the day before, suffocated her daughter, Katherine, 3, with a plastic garbage bag.

Any parent of a child with autism remembers, as I do, reading every book, pursuing every lead and never taking a night off - because autism feels like a war you rearm yourself nightly to wage. Comments suggested the parents may have been trying too hard. Perhaps they were frustrated that their efforts did not lead to greater improvement in their children. That would not be surprising, because dramatic improvement is what too many parents are led to expect

Having an autistic child is estimated to cost a family $10,000 to $50,000 a year for medical treatment, therapy and education. With 50 new diagnoses of autism in the United States every day (1 in 98 kids in Oregon’s schools), support services are already too stretched to meet the need.

But as much as I'd like to fault government policy, I suspect it is not entirely to blame. There's another issue that hits closer to home and is harder for most parents of autistic children to be candid about.

When your child's disorder is initially diagnosed, you read the early bibles of hope: "Let Me Hear Your Voice," "Son-Rise" and other chronicles of total recovery from autism. Hope comes from a variety of treatments, but the message is the same: If you commit all your time, your money, your family's life, recovery is possible. And who wouldn't do almost anything - mortgage a home, abandon a career or move to be closer to doctors or schools - to enable an autistic child to lead a normal life? Now, as the mother of a 10-year-old, I will say what no parents who have just discovered their child is autistic want to hear, but should, at least from one person: I've never met a recovered child outside the pages of those old books. Not that it doesn't happen; I'm sure it does. But it's extraordinarily rare and it doesn't happen the way we once were led to believe. Every parent of a child on the autism spectrum knows this feeling: I've done everything possible; why isn't he better?

The answer is simple: Because this is the way autism works. There are roadblocks in the brain, mysterious and unmovable. In mythologizing recovery, I fear we've set an impossibly high bar that's left the parents of a half-million autistic children feeling like failures.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic about the prospects for autistic children. On the contrary, I see greater optimism in delivering a more realistic message: Children are not cured, but they do get better.

And better can be remarkable. At 10, my son is a far cry from the toddler who melted down when the sand was the wrong texture for drizzling. These days he embraces adventure, rides his bike, and repeats any story he tells five or six times. I remember thinking maybe we'd laugh someday at the lengths we went to when we were teaching him language - the flashcards, the drills, the repetitions.

Now he's 10 and talking at last in his own quirky ways, and we don't laugh about the drills (though we laugh about plenty of other things). Language is a victory. So is connection and purposeful play. So are the simpler things: a full night's sleep, a tantrum-free day.

Parents working toward these goals will one day be surprised and delighted by their children's funny new obsessions, odd fixations and tentative but extraordinary connections with other children.

Being more realistic from the start might make it possible to enjoy the journey and to see it for what it is: helping a child who will always function differently to communicate better and feel less frustrated.

To aim for full recovery - for the person your child might have been without autism - is to enter a dangerous emotional landscape. For three children, the disconnect between parental determination and limited progress may have been lethal.

Cammie McGovern is the author of "Eye Contact," a novel.

New findings help pinpoint autism’s genetic roots
www.inovations report 05.05.2006

By deleting a gene in certain parts of the brain, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created mice that show deficits in social interaction that are reminiscent of humans with autism spectrum disorders. The investigators also found physical abnormalities in the brains that mimic some cases of autism, showing that the research animals can be useful in studying the mysterious condition. The finding — to be published in the May 4 issue of the journal Neuron — confirms recent indications that a mutation in this partic-ular gene could cause at least some forms of autism, said Dr. Luis F. Parada, director of the Center for Developmental Biology and the study’s senior author. Dr. Parada also directs the Kent Waldrep Center for Basic Research on Nerve Growth and Regeneration. "The exciting thing about this mouse is it helps us to zero in on at least one anatomic location of abnormality, because we targeted the gene to very circumscribed regions of the brain," he said. "In dis-eases where virtually nothing is known, any inroad that gets into at least the right cell or the right biochemical pathway is very important."

This research funded in part by NAAR - Autism Speaks

Army releases 18-year-old with autism from enlistment contract
By SARAH SKIDMORE, The Associated Press, May 10, 2006

PORTLAND — An 18-year-old Portland man with autism, whose recruitment renewed questions about Army practices, was released Tuesday from his enlistment contract.

Jared Guinther signed up for one of the Army’s most dangerous jobs, cavalry scout, after being heavily recruited. He passed medical and other examinations. He was scheduled to leave for basic training in August.

The Army announced Tuesday that it decided he didn’t meet enrollment criteria, two days after The Oregonian newspaper reported his parents’ objections.

Gaylan Johnson, spokesman for the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, said Guinther’s disability was not disclosed in the medical exam and information regarding his condition was not available to the command until after the enrollment process was complete. The command oversees medical exams for the Army.

Guinther’s mother told The Oregonian she informed recruiters about her son’s disability by telephone as Jared was being tested, but that he was accepted for enlistment anyway.
An investigation is under way into whether recruiters improperly concealed Guinther’s condition.

Guinther started talking about joining the military after a recruiter stopped him and offered him a $4,000 signing bonus and $67,000 for college, his parents say. His parents said he didn’t know there was a war in Iraq until last fall, shortly after he spoke with a recruiter, and asked them about it.

The Army has been under intense pressure to recruit, and the number of recruiting abuses hit record levels in recent years.

In response to the Guinther case, Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon called on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to con-duct a broad investigation into military recruitment practices and abuses.

In Guinther’s case, the Army had heavily recruited him even though his disability should have disqualified him from enlisting.

When Guinther’s parents found out he had enlisted, they contacted the Portland U.S. Army Recruiting Station where he signed up. His parents say the Army did not initially respond to their concerns.

With the Guinthers’ permission, The Oregonian faxed Guinther’s medical records to the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion commander, who ordered an investigation.

On Tuesday, the Army said it could not discuss the case further because the investigation is under way.

Gary Stauffer, spokesman for the Portland Army Recruiting Battalion, said the Army anticipates concluding the investigation this week.

call for entries - destination anywhere
A National Juried Exhibit for Young Artists with Disabilities, Ages 16 – 25.

Deadline: Friday, July 14, 2006, midnight (MST)
Grand Prize: $20,000
First Award: $10,000
Second Award: $6,000
12 Awards of Excellence: $2,000
Sponsored by VSA arts with generous assistance from Volkswagen of America, Inc.
More info: Here...

KindTree would like to help. Any qualifying artist can contact KindTree and we will help you get your art entered.
Call 541 521 7208 or e-mail entry@kindtree.org
Yes We Can.

Sparkplug Dance and Adaptive Recreation Summer Camps

Sparkplug Dance, in cooperation with the City of Eugene's Adaptive Recreation Department, received an award from The Lane County Cultural Coalition from funds provided by the Oregon Cultural Trust. The award will provide early childhood professionals, teachers, and teaching artists from Lane County with a fall workshop in inclusion-based arts education for preschool and elementary students.

This summer Sparkplug Dance and Adaptive Recreation is offering two summer camps designed for youth of all abilities.

In the Multicultural Camp (7/17-7/21), we'll explore the dance, sto-ries, and art of Australia, Africa and the Pacific Northwest Coast! And in our Dance and Art Camp (7/24-7/28), we'll make plaster masks, murals, and collages, and explore nature in art, relating each day's activities to dance. For more information, contact Hilyard Center at 682-5311.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

June 17, Employment Workshop: 9:00 am— ”Beating the Odds”, presented by Cynthia Owens
10:30 am— ”Changing lives through employment! All can work, how do you make it a reality?” Presenter: Paul See
Gateway Elks Club. kathyh@arroautism.org Or call: 503-284-0350

Monday-Friday June 26-30, Autreat by ANI Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. www.ani.autistics.org

July 1-4 all day Art & the Vineyard Autism Rocks Traveling Art Show.

At Autism Training and Support 689 2327:
July 10 - 27 Autism Spectrum Disorder Summer Program
Days: Monday – Thursday Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
3rd Tuesday, 7 - 9 pm: The Autism Family Support Group, at the ARC of Lane County

July 17 - 21 Multicultural Camp. See above for more info.
July 24 - 28 Dance and Art Camp. Also above.
August 15, 6:30 - 8pm ASO leadership meeting, Bridgeway House 541-521-7208

August 25-27 KindTree Autism Camp / Retreat. Details here.

4th Tuesdays Autism Medical Information Support Group
Oregon Health & Science University - Doernbecher Children's Hospital - 11th floor Auditorium 503-284-0350

At Bridgeway House: 1st and 3rd Tuesday nights - Parent support group.
1st Saturdays, 11:30 am: Exploring Aspergers Syndrome with Nan Lester

September 10, AM. Autism Speaks fundraising Walk. Help raise funds for autism research. Contact Teri Baker, Teribaker77436@yahoo.com

MARCH, 2006
Community R Us / Mary-Minn's Stim Page / Mental Health and Chemical Dependancy Parity
Computers / Autism From the Soul / Autism Artism 2006 Art Show in Eugene
Mom Needs Help /Autism Forum May 20 / Community Calendar

VISIT eSCRIP and Help Us OUT!! / Or print the sign up form HERE

'Community R Us'

The Autism Community really came through for KindTree this winter. We received significant donations from Elizabeth King, George Mueller, Doris Germain, Cheryl Horne, the Wentworth Foundation, GreyWolf Projects and Mary Ann Hanson. Thank you all!

Our Computer Exchange Program is benefiting from the technical expertise of John Wicks (Alpha Omega Computers) and Tim Savage, both of them working on a group of machines donated by Lane County. We’ve whittled our waiting list down to only 6 months and the machines are getting better. Ten systems were placed in 2005. Keep up the good work!

Our Autism Rocks Traveling Art Show continues to grow, providing over $1500 in artist payments for last year, including over $700 in sales of our Holiday Cards. Thanks to all of you who enjoyed them, and to the talented artists who create them.

The Art Show also provided grants to 3 artists totaling $600 as part of our “From the Studio to the Gallery” program, which cul-minates in the “Autism Artism 2006” exhibition at DIVA during April, Autism Awareness Month. 16 artists competed with over 100 works for this show, and our wonderful volunteer jury had a hard time selecting only 25 pictures. The Gala Opening will be a fund-raiser, with raffle tickets for great gifts, a chance to paint your very own “autism rock”, and plenty of beautiful art for sale. Admission is free, so please come. More here... Special thanks to Karen Howe of LaFollette Gallery for her indispensable help.

Please note our fifth Autism Forum, coming on May 20. Professionals from our community will be there to help. This is another free event, but worth way more. Don’t miss it.

Kim Miller - Violinist
Poster image for "Autism Artism 2006"

As we began preparations for our the summer, I came across Dave Kleger, a very active member of the Willamette Cascade Model Railroad Club. His group is planning a big show April 8-9 at the Lane County Fairgrounds (only $9 per family) - and I’m thinking they just might join us at our Retreat this summer, too. Now, that would be fun! We’re also working with the Boy Scouts to coordinate more athletic activities for all the young boys we’ve hosted there the last few years. I hope that works out, too. You can make a Re-treat reservation today with the form below.

Our Autism Community benefits from the efforts of so many people. Even the Community Village of the Oregon Country Fair helps us out - we will be selling T-shirts at the Village Benefit Concert. Joules Graves, Samba Ja, Prezident Brown and more will rock the McDonald Theatre this April Fool’s Day. See you there! Do we have too much fun or what?

Tim Mueller

Just a brief announcement - KindTree's Tim Mueller has retired from the US Postal Service after 32 years as a Letter Carrier. Yeeha!

Mary-Minn's Stim Page

(Here are personal stories about autism. If you would like to see your musings on this page, please email Mary-Minn at sirag@mindspring.com.)

On the Illusion of Leadership

Before I “came out” with my autism by joining the autism community in late summer, 2000, I wanted nothing more than to be given a chance to be a Leader. I wanted to spearhead everything from activities to movements, though I had no specific mission at that point. All I needed was the authority to lead–or so I thought. After all, I argued with no one in particular, I was good at giving feed-back without being judgmental or critical. The school of hard knocks had taught me not to be a micro-manager. I had chutzpah. I was fearless about taking responsibility for my mistakes and learning from them. What more did a good leader need?

True, I had freakouts, but only when things got out of control. Granted, I have always been burdened by a stratospheric standard of “control.” Nonetheless, all I needed to do was to front-load complex tasks so as not to set my “team” up to fail by piling on too much at the last moment. It was a matter of logistics.

"My frequent brushes with failure in group activities had been due almost invariably to others’ unenlightened leadership,
or so I thought."

I had written procedure and training manuals, and designed elaborate work-flow systems as a paranoid precaution against the chaos and error rate that led to so much blame and dissension within those harried ranks I was inhabiting.
In the meantime, I had avoided positions of genuine leadership. Resisting a painfully intense reproductive urge, I had chosen to forgo starting a family, for fear of finding myself unable to provide for them financially or to survive the poverty that my unremark-able wage-earning ability might impose on my hapless offspring. I had felt righteously responsible in my decision rather than fearful, as I truly was.
I had turned down one or two opportunities for minor promotions on the job–out of modesty, I told myself. I had avoided com-mittees for supposedly esthetic reasons. The word “committee” was not euphonious to me.
My frequent brushes with failure in group activities had been due almost invariably to others’ unenlightened leadership, or so I thought. Back then, I could have written books on leadership, because I felt omniscient about what bad leadership looked like from my enlight